Base-ball mask



N A V I L L U w O J D a d 0 M 0 W BASE BALL MASK.

No. 379,655. Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @EEitJE.

DENNIS J. OSULLIVAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BASE-BALL MASK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379.655, dated March 20, 1888.

Application tiled June '29, 1887.

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DENNIS J. OSULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Ball Masks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a face-guard or safety-mask for base-ball players, and is especially intended to be worn by the catcher or person playing behind the batsman, for the purpose of preventing such player from being struck in the face by foul-tips or misthrown balls.

Masks constructed with a chi u-rest and forehead-strap, which fit the face only when said mask is placed with the chin-rest and foreheadstrap in their respective positions on the face, are fou nd to be objeetionahle,for thereason that atcertain times it is necessary to remove and replace the mask with great haste; and as it is necessary to adj ust the mask right end up before replacing it, and as the forehead-strap is commonly attached, it often drops down over the eyes and obstructs the sight. Thus the manipulation in replacinr the mask after it has been removed from the face requires consid erable time, and is therefore inconvenient.

The object of this invention is to overcome these objections. .The mask is so arranged that it may be readily removed from and attached to the face regardless of the relative position of the ends of said mask, and is also provided with means wherebyit may be adjusted to fit a large or small face, as required, all of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and the essential features pointed out particularly in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a. part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front face view of my improved mask. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same, showing the position of the mask when placed on the face of the wearer. sition of the side pads and end straps or supports. Fig. 418 a detail, partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a back face view showing po- Serial No.242,85-l. (No model.)

As indicated in the drawings, A represents the wire frame-work of the mask; B, the back strap by which the mask is attached to the face of the wearer.

P shows the pads, of which there are four, which are attached to thewings or wires D of the main wires F by means of the wires h, which pass through the back lining of the pads and are wound around said wires. (See Fig. 1.)

O O are end straps or rests, one of which acts as a chin-support. The other rests on the head and prevents the mask from dropping down. Said end straps are attached to the main wires F F of the mask, and are provided with buckles k and tongue-straps t, to lengthen or shorten them when adjusting said mask to different sizes, as hereinafter set forth.

E is a right and left screw-threaded thumbnut, which receives the screw-threaded ends a of the main wires F of the mask, and by turning said thumb-nuts the mask will be caused to expand or contract transversely, the former position being shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus enabling the ready adjustment of the mask .to conform to the shape of the face of the wearer.

The back strap, B, may be of leather or an elastic band, being attached at its ends centrally to the main wires F, and passes around the back of the head, having a buckle, L, for tightening said strap.

It will be observed that as the form of the mask is alike at both ends it may be readily placed in position on the face, with either end up, thus enabling the operator to rapidly re move and replace the mask, obviating the necessity of first placing the mask right end up, as is necessary with masks as ordinarily constructed. It will also be observed that, if desired, the mask may be made to more readily conform to the shape of the face by simply turning the thumb-nuts in opposite directions, which will cause one end of said mask to contract and the other to expand, thus conforming to the shape of the face; and when adjusting the mask to different sizes the end straps or supports, 00, should belengthened or shortened, by means of the buckles k and tonguestraps t, to suit such adjustment.

In Fig. 2 the dotted line :0 shows the reversed position of the face in the mask.

The new and important features of my iu-' vention lie in the construction of the mask, whereby it may be adjusted to the various sizes required, and in the form and arrangement of the rim, side pads, and end straps or supports, whereby the ends of said mask may be reversed, and when placed on the face perform the same functions as when in its normal or former position.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a mask, and in combination, the cage orframe having the main wires F F, with screw- 

